Southgate Academy provides special education services for students with disabilities, who have a need for specially designed instruction. Identification of children with disabilities begins at birth. Southgate Academy is actively involved with “child find” efforts to ensure that children with learning challenges have access to evaluations and services, when appropriate.
     Southgate Academy believes in educating students in the least restrictive environment. A full continuum of instructional and related services is available to eligible students, with initial consideration given to provision of services in the general education classroom to the greatest extent possible. Students spend various amounts of time in general education and special education settings, depending upon their specific needs.
     Parents are vital members of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, which develops an appropriate program of services for each student.

Southgate Academy is required to make the following SpED-related polices and documents available. These are in Adobe PDF format.

Procedures Manual
Child Find
Confidentiality of Information
Discipline
Extended School Year (ESY) Services
Evaluation and Eligibility Documentation
Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
Individualized Education Programs (IEP)
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Private Schools
Procedural Safeguards Checklist

Arizona Department of Education, Exceptional Student Services
http://www.ade.state.az.us/ess/

Parent Information Network
http://www.azed.gov/ess/pinspals

Raising Special Kids
http://www.raisingspecialkids.org

Arizona Center for Disability Law
http://www.acdl.com